Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spinal implant. More particularly, the invention relates to an expandable spinal implant having a pivoting wedge, configured to expand within a patient's disc space between two adjacent vertebral bodies, from a collapsed position to an expanded position.
Description of the Related Art
Expandable spinal implants are known in the art. Such expandable implants can be configured to have lordotic, tapered configurations to assist in the restoration or enhancement of spinal lordosis. The expandability of such implants allows placement of the implant, while in a collapsed position, through a relatively small opening in a patient's body, into a corresponding surgically-enhanced disc space between two adjacent vertebral bodies. Thereafter, expansion of the implant within the disc space increases the height between the two adjacent vertebral bodies, assisting in the restoration or enhancement of spinal lordosis.
The related art expandable implants typically have two components, pivotally held together by a pivot pin. During expansion of the implant to the expanded position, the pin, in some cases, may be incapable of withstanding all of the forces generated between the two components, resulting in damage to, and inoperabilty of, the implant.